


A Glass to Freedom

by old_starlit



Series: The Prodigies of King's College [4]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fourth of July, John and Alex are a disgustingly cute couple, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 02:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7387018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_starlit/pseuds/old_starlit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Alex, we need to go if we’ll be there on time,” John reminded him.</p><p>Alex stared blankly at John. “Why? Where are we going?”</p><p>John rolled his eyes. “It’s July fourth. Which means…”</p><p>His brain clicked. “Of course. The fireworks.”<br/>--<br/>A fourth of July fic in which Lafayette throws a party, Alex manages not to fight with Jefferson, and a lot of fireworks happen</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Glass to Freedom

It was a lazy, not-too-hot summer’s evening, the window opened just a crack, giving Alex the very barest of a breeze while he typed. He was writing an essay for his class, and it already exceeded the word limit. He ran his fingers through his hair anxiously, before moving his hand back down to type again.

Another hand caught his before he could start to type.

“Alex, love,” Alex turned to see his boyfriend looking down at him, with a somewhat exasperated expression on.

“Alex, we need to go if we’ll be there on time,” John reminded him.

Alex stared blankly at John. “Why? Where are we going?”

John rolled his eyes. “It’s July fourth. Which means…”

His brain clicked. “Of course. The fireworks.” Every year, Lafayette gathered what was now dubbed ‘The Hamilsquad’ to a party at his apartment where they’d hang out and go to the roof and watch the fireworks.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go, let’s go,” John said impatiently, tapping his fingers on Alex’s shoulder.

“One more word…” Alex muttered, finishing the sentence he was on, before exiting the browser and standing up. “Okay, let’s go,” he said, tying his hair back quickly.

John paused for a second. “Think I’m good to go out?”

Alex’s eyes did a quick once-over of John’s body, noting the flannel and jeans, before reaching up to press a quick kiss to John’s forehead. “You always look good.”

John blushed a little (always an accomplishment for Alex), then grabbed Alex’s hand and tugged him out of their apartment. “Let’s go!” he said, one last time. 

They were met with a cool breeze as they stepped out of the building. John smiled happily. 

“This is the best,” he declared. “Perfect temperature, perfect weather…” He stole a glance at Alex. “Perfect boyfriend.”

Alex smiled and pulled John closer to him, the two walking in sync towards Lafayette’s apartment.

Alex perked up at the sight of another couple emerging from their apartment.

“Well, it it isn’t Aaron Burr!” Alex waved his hand.

“Sir!” Aaron called back, Theodosia next to him.

They waited as Alex and John caught up to them and they began to walk together. 

“Thought you guys wouldn’t be able to make it,” John said.

“Well,” Theodosia shrugged. “We wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t pressure _someone_ ,” she elbowed Aaron at that. “To go out for once.”

“I go out sometimes!” Aaron protested.

“No, you don’t,” John said, and Aaron shook his head and rolled his eyes in response, a sign that meant he had no comeback.

They continued to walk in comfortable silence, until they reached Lafayette’s apartment, heading up until they found his door. Even if they hadn’t memorized Lafayette’s address by now, his room stood out among the others, with a giant American flag pinned up to it and a poorly drawn smiley face under the flag.

Alex smiled slightly at that and knocked on the door a bit louder than necessary. The door was thrown open almost immediately, and Alex couldn’t help but back up at the explosion of red, white, and blue they were met with.

Lafayette stood in the doorway, grinning, decked out in a American flag patterned shirt and worn jeans. His bun was stuffed with small flags, probably courtesy of Hercules.

“ _Mes amis_!” he cried, trying to hug them, but only grabbing John, who was to slow to back out of his area of attack. “So happy all of you could make it! Come on in!”

The four filed in, Aaron still wincing at the brightness of the apartment. 

The apartment was also decorated appropriately, with streamers and balloons and flags. The Schuyler sisters (plus Maria) all looked up simultaneously as they walked in, and Eliza bounced up. 

“Hey guys!” she chirped, as perky as ever. “Great to see you all again!”

“It’s good to be here,” Alex said with a smile.

Hercules walked over and wrapped Alex in a bone-crushing hug, effectively picking him up then dropping him.

“Ow,” Alex complained. “That was unnecessary.”

“Nope,” Hercules said, grinning. “Completely necessary. I haven’t seen you in ages with your crazy schedule.”

Angelica was on her phone, but looked up to join in the conversation. “I’m surprised you even managed to make it here,” she commented.

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Alex replied.

“Says the guy who forgot the fourth of July was today,” John reminded him. 

Alex elbowed him. “Shut up.”

Angelica merely laughed, like most people did when witnessing John and Alex. “Well, in any case, I’m glad you’re here. It’s not the same without you two.”

“You mean it’s actually quiet for once,” Peggy muttered, but she was smiling all the same.

John looked at her indignantly “We’re not loud!”

“Yeah, we are,” Alex said.

“Well _you_ are, maybe, but--”

“So!” Maria interrupted, gesturing for the newcomers to sit down. “What are we doing tonight?”

“Um,” Lafayette said, settling down on the floor. “Well, first we’re waiting for Thomas and James to come—”

“You invited them _again_?” Alex asked incredulously.

“Yes, because they’re my _friends_ ,” Lafayette replied, looking at him pointedly. “And I expect no one to get into fights like last year.” Last year involved a lot of yelling, some broken glasses, and an overturned table.

“Fine,” Alex said. “If Jefferson behaves himself.”

Lafayette hesitated for a moment, then shrugged, accepting that that was the best answer he’d get out of Alex. “Then we’ll go up to the roof and watch the fireworks.”

John gave a quick nod. “Sounds like a set plan.” He paused, remembering. “Please tell me that you didn’t invite Washington.”

Lafayette frowned, offended. “I _did_ , but he said he already had plans this year, unfortunately.” 

“Thank god,” Theodosia called from where she was sitting, talking with Angelica. “That would’ve been insanely awkward.”

“Especially since Lafayette would have to choose between worshipping either Washington or America,” Alex joked.

Lafayette pouted, crossing his arms that Alex now realized was adorned with sharpie-drawn stars and glaring at everyone who had laughed at him. “ _Fiine_ ,” he said, drawing out the word. “I guess I’ll just keep all those brownies to myself.”

Which, of course, caused everyone to apologize profusely, and Lafayette grudgingly brought out snacks, baked by himself and Hercules, with help from Southern belle John Laurens, who could bake just about anything.

“And not too much alcohol until after the fireworks,” Lafayette added. “I don’t want anyone to drunkenly fall off the roof.”

“Fair enough,” Peggy conceded, snapping a selfie of herself and an unsuspecting Aaron, who practically hissed, and pushed her off him.

The group fell into easy conversation, playing cards and taking pictures and looking up enemies on social media and attacking their accounts. Halfway through the party, three sharp knocks rang out from outside of Lafayette’s door, who practically skipped to open it. Thomas Jefferson stood there, dressed in his ungodly bright pink suit, with James Madison besides him, looking slightly sick as usual.

“Thomas, James!” Lafayette said, ushering them in. “Great to see you!”

Thomas smiled, which melted off his face when he saw Alex. “Hamilton,” he said, glaring at him.

Alex looked up from his perch on the armrest, practically draped across John. “Jefferson,” he replied.

James rolled his eyes, taking Thomas’s arm and dragging him over to a spot opposite of Alex. “We’re not going to go through this again.”

Thomas allowed himself to be led over to the couch and sat down, still glaring at Alex. “It’s not _my_ fault. It’s all Hamilton’s, that arrogant—”

Alex moved to get up, but John placed a hand on him. “It’s not worth it,” he said quietly, and Alex grudgingly sat back down. If John, the fighter of the group, was telling him not to argue with Thomas, it was best he listen.

Lafayette, glaring at Alex and Thomas, daring them to fight, passed out glasses. Thomas, who had brought wine, poured the drink into everyone's glass.

“It’s fucking pink,” Alex whispered to Angelica. “Who the fuck has pink wine?”

“People with _class_ ,” Angelica replied.

Before Alex could respond, Eliza began to speak. Everyone fell quiet immediately. Eliza had that effect on people.

“Raise a glass to freedom,” she declared, lifting her own glass. 

“To freedom,” the group echoed clinking their glasses.

“And to the—” Peggy did a quick headcount of the group. “Twelve of us!” Laughs and cheers follow that declaration.

After they had all finished their drinks, Lafayette checked the time and stood up.

“All right!” he said, clapping his hands. “The fireworks should be starting soon. Let’s head up to the roof, shall we?”

The group staggered to the roof, laughing and talking and ignoring the dirty looks other tenants in the apartment building were throwing at them. Alex found himself falling into a conversation with _Thomas Jefferson_ of all people, about the Declaration of Independence, a document only they could talk about without falling asleep. John and James simultaneously rolled their eyes behind their backs.

When they reached the roof, Alex took a moment to look around, taking in the New York city skyline. He could see for miles from this point, and Alex couldn’t help but grin, looking down at his, no _their_ city. The sun had set by now, leaving only vestiges of pink and purple in the sky, and the stars had began to come out. There weren’t many, given all the light, but the ones he could see shone bright against the night sky.

“It’s beautiful,” John breathed, coming up from behind him.

Alex wrapped his arms around John. “Not as beautiful as you,” he said, grinning as John laughed.

“Get a room!” Hercules called and Alex disentangled himself from John’s arms (somewhat regretfully) to go and join the rest of their friends at the edge of the roof.

“Where are the fireworks?” Maria asked, frowning and squinting through the dark.

“Wait for it,” Aaron said quietly, his arm around Theodosia’s shoulders.

A silence fell upon the group as they waited for the fireworks to start. It was quiet, or as quiet as it could be in New York City. Alex closed his eyes for just a minute, savoring the moment.

And then he heard Peggy scream, “There’s one!” and he snapped his eyes open to see an explosion of red bursting in front of him.

“All right, all right!” John yelled, throwing his hands up in ecstasy. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

And just like that, the tension was diffused, and they began to talk once more, breaking off of their conversation every so often to admire the fireworks. Alex glanced sideways to see John break off from the group and he followed after him to a spot on the edge of the roof further away from their friends.

“Hey,” he said softly. “What’s up?”

John shrugged, eyes fixed on the skyline. “Just thinking about... _everything_. We’re all here now, but what’s to say about tomorrow? How do we know everything won’t just change then? We might not even be remembered years later. How can we—”

Alex caught John’s hands, which were gesturing wildly as he spoke. “Well, then, we might as well live in the moment now,” he replied softly.

John dropped his hands and turned to face Alex. He gave Alex a sideways, crooked-sort-of smile, which meant he was only going to do one thing.

Alex smiled slightly as John drew him into a soft kiss, closing his eyes and wrapping one hand around John’s waist, pulling him in closer. He tasted sweet and smoky and something that was, for some reason, so incredibly _Fourth of July_. They pulled apart eventually, and Alex rested his head on John’s shoulders (one of the perks of having a taller boyfriend) and smiled up at him.

“Hey, John?”

“Yeah, Alex?”

“I kinda like you a lot.”

John tilted his head back and gave a laugh, one that rang out against the night sky. “So do I,” he replied affectionately.

He put an arm around Alex and they stayed there like that, watching the fireworks, and listening to their friends talk, marveling how unbelievably tranquil the moment was, despite the noise and the bright lights.

And, hey, maybe none of them will be remembered at all, or go down in history, but tonight, just tonight, they’ll tell their story.


End file.
